This application is a continuation-in-part of original patent application, Ser. No. 889,880, filed July 28, 1986, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Said original patent application discloses individual precision formation of a stud component and of a socket component of a snap-fastener combination, wherein each of the components is in situ formed to porous substrate material and from a single charge of plastic material, and wherein the plastic material of the charge extends void-free and integrally through and solidly impregnates the pores of the substrate at the substrate locality of in situ formation. In said disclosure, the formed snap-fastener components were discussed in the context of one component (e.g., the stud) and the other component (e.g., the socket) being formed to different substrates, as for later selective removable attachment of the two substrates, or in the context of these components being formed to spaced locales of a single substrate, wherein the spaced locales of the single substrate are to be selectively engaged and disengaged.
A limitation of such constructions and arrangements is that the involved stud and socket components must be precision-formed for predetermined snap-engageability to and disengageability from each other. An adjustably completed garment closure with such components is not possible without either having a single stud component selectively engageable to one of a plurality of spaced socket components, or having a single socket component selectively engageable to one of a plurality of spaced stud components. But to resort to such measures (a) involves the expense of forming more components than will ever be used for a given customer purpose and (b) the degree of adjustability as to completed engagement is necessarily only characterized by stepped increments determined by the spacing of like components.